Longtime Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has begun the season on a hot streak, only adding to the Capitals’ hopes for a phenomenal 2024-2025 record and a chance at reaching playoffs once again. Wilson notched four goals in four games, becoming only the fourth player in team history to begin a season this way. That statistic places him alongside Capitals legends Alex Ovechkin (2013-2014), Mike Gartner (1987-1988), and Dennis Maruk (1979-1980). Not only did the winger achieve that impressive feat in Saturday’s game against New Jersey, but he netted another goal, bringing him to third place in overall goals in the NHL so far. He was the overtime hero in the game, scoring a powerful wrister to close the game out 6-5.
He is averaging 19:16 on ice, the highest time in his career so far, leaving even more room open for tallying points on his personal stats sheet. Notably (and uncharacteristically for the known fighter), his penalty minutes are low so far–just two minutes spent in the box across the team’s first five games. Should Tom Wilson be able to keep his game clean and spend less time in the penalty box than is typical for the large, aggressive forward, more scoring opportunities will arise easily. This season, Tom Wilson also reached the 150-goal mark. His five goals were scored on a mere 12 shots–yielding a shooting percentage of 41.7%, 29.5 percent higher than his career average (12.2%).
Unsurprisingly, teammates and coaches have been loudly praising Tom Wilson’s performance. “He’s playing at a really high level – scoring, and that’s not what we rely on Willy for, but for him to be able to be doing that early in the season is huge for our team,” coach Spencer Carbery said. Wilson’s line includes newcomer Pierre-Luc Dubois and young talent Connor McMichael, and the three have proven to be an offensive force on the ice. The line accounted for 12 (6g, 6a) of Washington’s points through the first four games of the season– a 29.3% contribution. “It’s really impressive,” Connor McMichael said about his linemate. “I feel like every time I give him the puck, I’m going to get an assist. He’s just gotta keep shooting the puck right now. He’s hot as can be, and it’s fun to watch.” Captain Alex Ovechkin spoke about Tom Wilson as well, saying, “He gets rewarded what he’s doing out there. You can see he’s feeling it right now. Hottest guy in the league, so happy for him.”
SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman suspects that the Canadian forward will be joining Team Canada in this year’s 4 Nations Faceoff. He was rumored to be joining the 2022 Olympic team before NHL players were disallowed from participating, so his name is already on a shortlist. With his stellar performance this season so far, he is back on the radar and would bring a multitude of benefits t
o Team Canada in the international competition. At 30 years old, he would bring leadership, experience, and seniority to the team. His size and physicality are both huge strengths of his and have made him infamous throughout the NHL. He is also one of the league’s top penalty killers, which is always a skill GMs and coaches are looking for.
Unfortunately, Wilson ran cold as the team visited the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, breaking his point streak. However, the Capitals take on the Flyers once again tonight–this time at home–so his hot streak may be reignited.
ITR 35: Round One – Inside The Rink
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